Backband



April 1934. D. D. TOWERS 1,953,732

BACKBAND Filed Aug. 19, 1932 Donig flDToWQ-TS INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Patented Apr. 3,1Q34

BACKBAND Donigan D. Towers, Rome, Ga., assignor to Anchor Duck Mills, Rome, Ga-., a corporation of Georgia Application August 19, 1932, Serial No. 629,403

4 Claims.

' My invention relates to improvements in backbands. Backbands are used on working animals, such as horses and mules, to support the traces,

particularly in operations such as plowing. The

i band passes across the middle of the back and is attached to the traces, acting as a support for them.

Previously backbands have been made by stitching two layers of a canvas-like material together, either with or without intermediate padding. There have been several disadvantages of this type of structure, one being that the stitching, although it may only extend slightly above I the, surface of the band, tends to cause an irritation on the back of the animal after continued use. Furthermore, this type of band causes undue sweating under it, as there is no means provided for proper ventilation or removal of the sweat from beneath the band. This localized sweating also causes irritation and sore spots at the very points on which the band must bear.

Another disadvantage of the stitched or padded backhand is that after it becomes saturated with sweat it tends to become caked and hard and this makes its use inadvisable because of the danger .of causing irritation and soreness on the animals back.

One of the primary objects of my invention is to obtain a backhand without the disadvantages set forth above.

Another object of my invention is to obtain a backhand having improved characteristics.

-- ing in which like reference characters denote like parts, reference character 10 indicates a tubular woven band having woven edges as indicated at 11. At intervals longitudinally of this band there are interwoven portions 12. These portions can be seen in enlarged detail of Figure 3, in which it will be noted that the filler threads or those extending across the band are at intervals interwoven together by longitudinally extending warp threads. This arrangement causes the tubular material to be broken up into a plurality of longitudinally extending tubes 13, which are separated by the grooves 14 formed at the interwoven portion. This interwoven tubular material may come from the looms in long pieces, after which it is cut to the desired length and the open ends finished by stitching, preferably with an over-stitching machine, as indicated at 15. In Figure 4 the use to which this type of band may be put is indicated. It is seen that it passes over the back of the animal and may be attached to the traces 16 by any well known means, such as by the buckle 17 as indicated.

There are many advantages to a tubular woven backhand having a plurality of longitudinally extending tubes and also a plurality of longitudinally extending grooves. The grooves provide channels for the proper drainage of sweat and this action helps prevent undue irritation under the band. It will be noted furthermore that there are no stitchings on my band which would cause irritation. These channels also pe mit a circulation of air beneath the band, and to a certain extent the band is carried by the tubular sections, leaving considerable space not in contact with the animal at the groove sections. This tubular weave tends to give a cushion effect so that my band is unusually easy on the animal. Furthermore, the tubular portions allow the circulation of air within the band which tends to diminish the amount of sweating beneath the band and also greatly facilitates the proper drying of the band when not in use and thus prevents caking or hardening. The weave is also of a relatively loose mesh as compared with stitched canvas or padded bands which permits proper drainage, ventilation and drying. Also my backhand is of a strong durable construction, and yet due to its unitary weave it is sufiiciently flexible to conform itself to the surface of the animal and is sufiiciently resilient to take up shocks without transferring th m directly to the back of the animal.

Other advantages, uses and modifications of my invention will bee me apparent to those skilled in the art. The grooved and tubular sections may be arranged, of course, transversely rather than longitudinally. I, therefore, do not wish to be limited by the specification but only by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An article of manufacture, a backhand unitarily woven of tubular material having spaced longitudinally extending interwoven portions.

2. An article of manufacture, a backhand of a 4. An article of manufacture, a. backband of unitarily woven tubular material, having a'plurality of longitudinally extending tubularsections, and longitudinally extending interwoven grooved sections intermediate the tubular sections.

D. TOWERS. 

